Australia Awards South and West Asia

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has identified disability inclusion as a key priority for Australia’s international development program, and Australia Awards ensures that disability inclusion is considered and embodied in all activities. Most recently, Australia Awards – South Asia & Mongolia supported two disability advocates from Bhutan to participate in a 10-day professional development opportunity in South Australia at the end of November.

Kinley Wangchuk and Kunzang Namgyal Tshering were among a group of 11 participants representing five countries. All participants were chosen on the basis of being people working in policy and advocacy within the disability sector in their home country. Kinley is the Executive Director of the Disabled People’s Organisation of Bhutan, while Kunzang is the Executive Director of the Ability Bhutan Society. During the visit, they learnt how different sectors in Australia work together with people with disability to provide the best outcomes for the people for whom they are providing services. Activities included site visits, presentations from government agencies and non-government organisations, and meetings with local people with disability.

The two Bhutanese participants travelled to Adelaide, South Australia, on Wednesday 20 November. From 21 November to 30 November, Australia Awards facilitated a diverse series of learning opportunities for all 11 representatives from South Asia. With more than a full week of activities, there was much for Kinley and Kunzang to learn from and be involved in.

Kunzang (seated, second from left) and Kinley (standing, far right) with other participants and staff from the City of Holdfast Bay at the Glenelg Community Centre.

The activities began on Thursday 21 November with the team from Palladium’s disability access and inclusion service Maven presenting an overview of the Disability System within Australia. The team also discussed the work Maven does across Palladium’s international development programs and with external clients. People with disability make up the core advisory team who design, deliver and evaluate all of Maven’s work, the goal of which is to change the way society views people with disability, by breaking down barriers for inclusion in mainstream society.

Friday 22 November involved a full day of learning about disability and community inclusion at Flinders University, including the accessible campus facilities and the relevant degrees and research that the university supports. Similarly, the visiting disability champions had an informative meeting with the Disability team from DFAT on Monday 25 November, while on Wednesday 27 November the group were introduced to Bearded Dragon Gallery. The gallery is a social enterprise business of Community Bridging Services Inc., a South Australian not-for-profit organisation that aims to help people achieve success by working with them to plan their futures, achieve their personal goals and improve their quality of life. They are a recognised leader in the provision of support for people with disability in the areas of open employment, personal support, further education and recreation. The gallery does more than showcase work by artists with disability; it is a space for collaboration and for creating positive conversations between likeminded organisations trying to lift the ceiling on social justice issues, primarily the stigmatisation of people with disability.

A highlight of the activities was a site visit to the beachside suburbs of Glenelg and North Brighton on Tuesday 26 November. Staff from the City of Holdfast Bay local council showed the participants facilities such as accessible beach equipment (including beach wheelchairs), a Changing Places facility (offering the highest level of accessibility to ensure people with disability with complex needs have access to safe, suitable and specialised bathroom facilities in their community) at Bouchee Walk, and and accessibility innovations at Glenelg Library. The participants then visited the nearby Minda social enterprise INC Cafe (an inclusive venue that provides employment for people of all abilities and caters to different dietary needs) and tour the Minda facilities, including its community garden.

Kunzang inspects the Minda community garden.

On Thursday 28 November, the group received a showroom tour at NovitaTech, Australia’s largest assistive technology retailer. The company supports people with disability to achieve their personal goals through its role as a leading provider of assistive technology equipment, mobility products and daily living aids. The group examined the range of products that assist individuals to move, communicate, play, learn, work and participate in the community. They also heard about how NovitaTech co-designs the best leading-edge solutions for real people by working with adults, children, families, carers, disability workers and other organisations.

On the same day, the group visited VIVA Mutual, which provides a variety of support services tailored to help people with disability reach their individual goals while fostering independence and overall well-being. VIVA Mutual’s founder and Managing Director, Dr Guy Turnbull, led the visitors through the fundamentals of disability and entrepreneurship, a Case Study of social care, and a discussion of what good support looks like.

This had an impact on Kinley, who said “At the Viva Mutual site visit, we learnt about Rapid Enterprise Development (RED) whose mission is to accompany people with a lived experience of disability on a journey to turn dreams, hobbies and ideas into viable enterprises.”

“We are trying to create entrepreneurial spaces for persons with disability in Bhutan and what I learnt through RED and exercises at Viva mutual, I can leverage back home. At this session we had to develop a business proposal which I intend to implement in Bhutan.”

Kinley (centre) experiences the wheelchair accessible beach path at Glenelg, flanked by Nepali participant Bishwamitra Bhitrakoti (left), and his sign language interpreter Dinesh (right).

In the morning of Saturday 30 November, the group visited the Adelaide Kids & Youth Disability Expo at Netball SA Stadium in Mile End, west of the city. The event showcases some of Australia’s most innovative products and services available for young people with disability. The expo offers interactive displays and lots of family fun, as well as providing information that allows young people with disability, their families and their carers to make informed choices about the support network available to them.

Finally, on Sunday 1 December, the participants concluded their educational visit and flew back to their home countries, full of new perspectives that they can bring to bear in their advocacy roles back home.

Kinley (left) and Kunzang enjoy the waves at Glenelg Beach

Kinley saw the experience as a unique chance to explore best practices and innovations in the international disability sector. He has a strong drive to inspire change and promote inclusivity within Bhutanese society, and says, “I experienced how aware society in Australia is when it comes to disability. The government, NGOs and community get together and work together to make accessibility.”

“More awareness and sensitization is required back home and I intend to incorporate what I have learned and witnessed through this APO.”

Similarly, Kunzang said that the visit had offered an opportunity and a space to exchange country-specific issues and challenges related to disability inclusion and share experiences from the developing world, including policy interventions, legal matters and protection services.

“This has been a very eye opening for a person like me, who is working for people with disability in an environment where recognition and acceptance of the importance of inclusion is relatively low,” he says. “For example, when it comes to education there is no pathway beyond secondary education for people with disability. So to go to Flinders University and hear about courses that meet the needs of persons with disability was very useful.”

“I will use those connections to help facilitate education pathways in Bhutan for people with disability.”

In light of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, this story seeks to highlight the work that Kinley, Kunzang and the other participants are doing to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and wellbeing of people with disability.